US asks Turkey to present evidence of Gulen’s involvement as prime minister warns US-based cleric’s allies
The Muslim cleric, who lives in self-imposed exile in the Pocono Mountains of the US state of Pennsylvania, denied any role, and condemned the coup attempt “in the strongest terms”.
Dubai: In one of his first video messages since members of the Turkish army staged a coup, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that “Turkey is not a country than can be run from Pennsylvania”, giving the first hints of who he thought may be behind the attempted coup.
The Muslim cleric, who lives in self-imposed exile in the Pocono Mountains of the US state of Pennsylvania, denied any role, and condemned the coup attempt “in the strongest terms”.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday that any country that stands by Gulen will not be a friend of Turkey and will be considered at war with it.
Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday that the US had not received a request to extradite the cleric, and invited Turkey to present evidence against him.
The government accuses Gulen of trying to build a “parallel structure” within the judiciary, education system, media and military as a way to overthrow the state, a charge the cleric denies.
Gulen has a wide following in his native country, where he enjoys support among the police and judiciary.
RELATED LINKS
“As someone who suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an attempt. I categorically deny such accusations,” Gulen said in a statement late on Friday.
Gulen, 75, was once a close ally of Erdogan but the two fell out in recent years as Erdogan became suspicious of Gulen’s movement, Hizmet, and its powerful presence in Turkish society, including the media, police and judiciary.
The preacher moved to the United States in 1999, before he was charged with treason in his native country. He has since led a secluded life in Pennsylvania, declining interviews and rarely making public appearances.
If he worries about the possibility of deportation, he hasn’t shared it with confidants, they say.
“He said that the United States has a long tradition of democracy and rule of law,” a confidante, Y. Alp Aslandogan, told the AP in an interview in February. “They will see that these are politically oriented charges, and they will not allow Erdogan to spread his ambition into the United States.”
Gulen’s followers run a loosely affiliated global network of charitable foundations, professional associations, businesses and other projects, including about 150 taxpayer-funded charter schools throughout the US. But details about Gulen’s personal life and his ties to those ventures have long been murky, giving rise to suspicions about his motives.
Nobody associated with the US schools has been charged, and there has been no public outcry from parents or students about teachers promoting Islam, Gulen’s supporters say. In America, the schools are public and open to students of all faiths.
The US has lauded Gulen for his schools around the world, which it sees as a potential alternative to madrasas that teach radical interpretations of Islam. But in a state built on secular principles, many Turks see Gulen’s influence in a more ominous light.
The power struggle between the two foes came to a head in late 2013 after judicial officials thought to be close to Gulen brought corruption charges that directly implicated some of Erdogan’s inner circle, including his son Bilal.
Erdogan launched a series of counter-attacks, purging hundreds of army officers, including top generals, shutting down schools operated by Hizmet and firing hundreds of police officers.
Erdogan has also gone after newspapers believed to be sympathetic to his rival, firing their editors or shutting them down.
Turkish authorities have accused the preacher of seeking to establish “a state within a state” in Turkey, but Hizmet officials insist that Gulen is committed to democratic reform and interfaith dialogue.
“For more than 40 years, Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet participants have advocated for, and demonstrated their commitment to, peace and democracy,” the Alliance for Shared Values said in a statement on Friday.
The group said it did not wish to speculate on the unfolding crisis in Turkey and denounced as “highly irresponsible” comments by Erdogan’s supporters concerning Gulen’s involvement in the coup attempt.
Hizmet — meaning service in Turkish — advocates a mix of Sufi mysticism and harmony among people based on the teachings of Islam.
However it is not a religious effort: their work centres on community service, education, human rights, democracy, and “intercultural and interfaith dialogue for peaceful coexistence,” according to the Alliance for Shared Values website.
— With inputs from agencies
Loading...
Post a Comment